《TAIPEI TIMES》Ministry touts its mental health counseling program

By Chiu Chih-jou and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer and CNA

A mental health program has helped 17,178 young people and achieved a 96 percent satisfaction rate from August last year to the end of last month, the Ministry of Health and Welfare said yesterday.

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The program provides three free psychiatry sessions to people, prioritizing those aged 15 to 30, the Department of Mental Health said.

The department collaborated with seven top psychiatrists’ and psychologists’ associations to make the program possible, it said.

The sessions enabled the department to identify 5,715 people — about 33 percent of all those who received counseling through the program — who were at risk of suicide and referred them for further psychiatric care, it said.

Mental health professionals intervened early in the cases to help prevent suicides, the department said.

The program served one man to every 2.7 women, which is in line with global trends in seeking psychiatric care, it said, adding that 66 percent of the people who entered the program were aged 24 to 30.

Health officials plan to extend the program, as its high utilization rate suggests more mental health resources are needed to care for the mental health of young people, the department said.

Young people who want assistance for mental health should not hesitate to avail themselves of the services provided by 406 medical institutions via the program, it said.

The department is to continue its work to destigmatize psychological disorders and promote a positive attitude in dealing with mental health issues, it added.

Department Director Wang Peng-hsuan （王芃宣） said that the program was supposed to run for a year and has already used up 50 percent of its budget.

Additional funding has been prepared to ensure that young people would continue to receive free counseling, even if the program runs out of its original funds earlier than expected, Wang said.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES